


Wandering

by NYWCgirl



Series: It changed me [2]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-14
Updated: 2017-03-14
Packaged: 2018-10-05 00:24:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10293248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NYWCgirl/pseuds/NYWCgirl
Summary: Recovering isn´t always evident, and Peter has always known that Neal is good in one thing… Run





	

**Author's Note:**

> Story is a timestamp in my 'It changed me' verse.

During his initial recovery, Neal sometimes gets agitated. He usually calms down when Peter is near, but it wears Peter down and it is obvious that Peter can´t stay with Neal all the time. He visits Neal before he goes in to the office and after work he visits. Some days He will first pick up El or they meet in the hospital and stay until visiting hours are over. El remembers when they brought Satchmo home as a pup, the breeder had given them a piece of blanket where the mother dog used to lay on. When they placed it in his basket, Satchmo cuddled on top of it. So she brings in one of Peter´s old Le Moyne T-shirts to the hospital. It has Peter´s scent on it and when she puts it near Neal´s pillow, he snuggles towards it.

It becomes Neal´s constant companion when Peter is not there himself. Where Neal is, the T-shirt is.

It is a busy afternoon when the shift changes, the nurses are briefing the hand-over, the cleaning crew is doing the last rooms, the staff always have a full plate before visiting hours start.

Marie has just started her shift and walks into Neal´s room, she finds it empty, which is strange in itself, because her colleagues didn´t mention Neal going to therapy or check-ups and he is still not up to par to go out alone.

She walks back to the nurses desk.

“Does anybody know where Neal is?”

Two heads come up from behind the computer screens. “He isn´t in his room?”

Marie shakes her head.

“Did you check the bathroom?”

“Yes, he isn´t in his room. Does he have any therapies?”

Neal´s patient file is checked but there is nothing.

“Did he have visitors that took him to the cafeteria?”

“No, not that we know of. Neal´s visitors always tell us when they are taking him somewhere.”

“Did that oddball friend came by?”

One of the nurses smiles, “You mean doctor _Philippe_?”

“Yeah, that is the one.” she also snickers, they all know he is not a doctor, but he makes Neal feel better, so nobody says anything about his visits at odd hours.

“No, I was informed that he was here last night.”

“OK, you better call security, I will check the ward.”

“I will help.”

The two nurses start checking all the rooms.

Francesca calls security and tells them they are missing a patient. She gives the security guard a description of Neal.

The head of security arrives within minutes and starts asking questions. The two other nurses come back. Neal is not on the ward. The adjacent wards are contacted and asked if they have seen their patient.

The head of Security calls his men to ask them to check the cameras. “Yes, the patient is wearing maroon silk pajamas with a dark blue robe. He has brown hair, a bandage around his head. He is wearing grey slippers and he is carrying a T-shirt. Check the cameras to see if he is still indoors. In the meantime, post a guard at every exit. Call me if you see him.”

Two minutes later, the telephone chimes.

“Your patient left the hospital fifty minutes ago through the main entrance.”

“That was during shift change.” The nurses states.

“I will call NYPD.”

The nurse calls 911 and relays all the info. The dispatch tells her they will put a BOLO out on their patient. When the nurse puts down the telephone, Marie states that it is raining. The nurses worry. Neal is all alone in a city like New York, in his pajamas.

“Isn´t his friend an FBI-agent?”

“Yeah, I think so. Wait, let me check.”

She flips through the file and nods, picking up the phone again.

“Agent Burke?”

_“Speaking.”_

“This is Marie Rosada from Presbyterian hospital.”

_“Is something wrong with Neal?”_

“Mister Caffrey seems to have left the hospital.”

_“What do you mean, left?”_

“He wandered off during the shift change.”

_“Do you know where he is?”_

“We informed NYPD, they put out a BOLO on him.”

_“In what direction did he go, do you know that?”_

“Beekman street.”

“ _Thanks.”_

Before Marie can say anything else, agent Burke disconnects the line.

 

* *  *

 

“Hey Neal.”

Neal slowly lifts his head and stares in confusion at Peter.

“P’ter?”

“Yes Neal, I´m here.”

Peter takes off his coat and carefully drapes it over Neal´s soaking wet shoulders.

“Let´s go.”

“W’re?”

“Back to the hospital. It´s warm there. El and Mozzie will be there.”

Neal slowly nods. He shivers.

“W’re?”

“Where you are? You were able to go quite a distance. You got the nurses worried. They called me, and you know I always find you.”

Neal nods.

Since he doesn´t make any indication that he is going to get up, Peter slowly pulls him to his feet. He waits while Neal steadies himself and then they shuffle back to Peter´s car.

By the time Peter has Neal in his car, he is semi-conscious and no longer lucid. Peter takes the blanket that he keeps in the trunk for emergencies and drapes it over Neal. He puts the thermostat on high and they are on their way back to the hospital. He calls from the car that he found Neal and they are on their way back.

When he pulls up to the emergency entrance, he tosses his FBI badge in front of the windshield and helps Neal out of the car. An orderly with a wheelchair already runs over.

Even half- concious, Neal is clinging to something. It is slowly pried from his cold fingers.

“NO.” he mumbles.

“It´s OK, Neal. I will keep it safe for you.”

Neal blinks up at Peter and nods. He lets go of the item so Peter can take it. It is his Le Moyne T-shirt. Peter swallows. Even in his altered state of mind, he kept Peter close.

After a quick check, Neal is put in a gown and brought to his room. The nurses quick and efficiently change him in dry pajamas. By the time they have him back in his warm bed, Neal is asleep.

“What happened?” Peter asks.

“Neal must have wandered off during our shift change. It is always hectic for about fifteen minutes.”

“How can we prevent this from happening again?”

“Most patients don´t walk off, he was just…”

“I haven´t told you a crucial detail about Neal. He runs… that is what he does.” Peter smiles.

“We have an anti-wander system in the hospital. We give patients who tend to walk off, a bracelet. If they leave the ward, an alarm sounds and security can also see where the patient is on their computers. It is very effective.”

“I am sure it is. Use it. You have my permission.”

“We will.”

“But instead of his wrist, can you put it on his left ankle?”

Marie gives him an odd look, but nods, “sure.”

She gets the bracelet and hand it to Peter, “do you want to attach it?”

“Yes, sure, I think it will be better.”

Peter walks back to Neal and gently shakes him awake. He doesn´t want to put the bracelet on without Neal knowing.

“Neal, I´m going to put the anklet on, OK? So you won’t get lost again.”

“Th’k, P’ter.” Neal almost sounds grateful and it breaks Peter´s heart. But on the other hand, it will keep Neal safe and that is at the moment their priority.

“Rest Neal, we will figure this out.”


End file.
